Intraparty violence: A refined conceptualization and evidence from Africa and South Asia

Abstract

This paper presents a research agenda on intraparty violence, identifying patterns distinct from electoral and nomination violence. I first develop a refined conceptual framework of linking intraparty violence to related concepts, then follow it to code intraparty violent events using the ACLED data. The analysis reveals three key empirical patterns: the relative levels of intra- vs. interparty violence vary considerably across countries in Africa and South Asia; in some contexts, intraparty violence constitutes a large share of party violence; and it is not merely confined to nomination periods but may occur throughout the electoral cycle. I also present an illustrative case study of Bangladesh, the highest intraparty violence context, which confirms the dominant presence of intraparty violence and its unique temporal placement and triggers.

Keywords

Election violence intraparty violence nomination violence political party

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